lemmerman



June 28, 1932. H. E. LEMMERMAN 1,864,604

' BREATHER CAP Filed June 14. 1930 INVENTOR A ATTORNEY;

Patented June 28, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOWARD E. LEMMERMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO SIMMONS MFG. CO., OF

" CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO EREATHER CAP Application filed J'une 14, 1930. Serial No. 461,211.

This invention relates to caps or closures, and more particularly to breather caps for the breather tubes or vents on motor vehicles. The object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved cap which is very easily made and assembled, which can be sold at low cost7 which supplies ample venting or breathing area, and which at the same time prevents escape of oil or oil vvapors to the atmosphere.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and improved meansy for mounting and supporting iilter screens in such a breather cap, including a screen unit which not only can be made and sold as a separate part attachable to breather caps al- .ready in use, but which can be embodied as `a part of new caps.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawing, which represents one suit able embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22', Fig. 1; Figs. 3 Vand 4 are respectively a side elevation and a top plan view of the main sleeve or body; Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views of the inner member of the screen unit; and Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views of the outer member of the screen unit.

The cap shown in the drawing Vis constructed and arranged for attachment to the open end of the breather pipe 1, which is a simple metal tube with a plain open end. The cap is provided with a tubular body portion or main sleeve illustratedin Figs. 3 and 4 and marked generally 2. Said maink sleeve,

while generally of tubular form, is slittedl longitudinally, as at 3, to provide a slight longitudinal gap, its walls being more or less. resilient so that by making the body sleevev with an over all outside diameter slightly greater than the internal diameter ofV theV breather tube, it can be collapsed to reduce the ga'p 3 and then inserted into the breather tube, where it will be firmly held by the 1nherent tendency of the resilient walls to eX-Y pand. Attached to the sleeve body iss a cover 4 of any suitable inverted saucer or umbrella shape, its over all diameter being Vgreater `fr )reignmaterial from entering the breather pipe.

.The body sleeve 2 and cap 4 may be secured together in any suitable marmer. In the a1'- rangement shown, the sleeve is provided with a. plurality, four being shown, of extended arms 6 separated by open spaces 7. Two or more of said arms (two in the form shown) are narrowed at their ends to provide ears 8, which are passed through simple slots in the cover `4 and bent down on the outside thereof to secure the sleeve and cap together. Theremaining shorter arms 6 mcrelyabut the inner surface of the cover and assist in supporting the sleeve and cap against relative movement. The open spaces 7 between adjacent arms form vent openings from the interior of the sleeve to the open atmosphere underneath the skirt of the cover and in said open spaces the sleeve is provided with small ears or lugs 9 bent outwardly into a transverse plane, which lugs serve as stops to engage the end of the tube 1 for limiting introduction of the cap sleeve thereinto.

Within the main sleeve is located a suitable Vscreen supporting unit which, brieliy described, consists of telescoping inner and `outer sleeve members designed to support in ular form with its edges abutting, or nearly so, at 11', the two end edges of the tubular member being each provided with a plurality, four being shown, of ears or lugs 12 bent inwardly. The outer member of the screen unit is asimilar tubular member 13 provided at Y its opposite ends with similar lugs or ears 14 and at one end being provided with endwise projecting arms 15 and an eXtra pair of lugs V1b bent outwardly.

In assemblyV of the screen unit, thefinner member 10 is formed as shown in'full lines,

Fig. 5, its lugs 12, four at each end, being bent inwardly. The outer member 13 1s formed as shown in full lines, Fig. 7 with its lugs l14 at one end and bent inwardly but with its lugs 14 at the other end extending longitudinally, and with its lugs 16 bent outwardly. A circular Vscreen member 17, usually-made of woven wire, is pushed into the outer member 13 and laid upon its inwardly bent lugs. 14. YThe inner member 10 is then telescoped into the outer member 13 andpushed down until its lugs 12 at one end rest upon the screenunit 17. Another screen unit 17 is then laid upon the other end of the inner member 10, being supported by the lugs 12 thereof. Thereupon the endwise extending lugs 14. on mems Vber 13 are bent downwardly and inwardly, which permanently connects or locks together the inner and outer members ofthe screen unit, the two screens, one at each end thereof, lying in parallel transverse planes and each of said screens being permanently held between a set of inwardly extending lugs 12 of the inner member and a set of inwardly eX- tending lugs 14 of the outer member.

The endwise extending arms 15 on the outer member of the screen unit are of substantially the same length as the arms 6 of the main sleeve or body. The assembled screen unit is v now inserted or telescopedinto the main sleeve or body with its arms 15 opposite or substantially registering with the arms 6; Its outwardly extending arms 16 rest upon the stop lugs 9 of the main sleeve.` rIhe cover 4` is now attached vto the assembled screen and mainV engagement of the ends of'arms l'with the shell or cover.

When the completed cap is inserted into' the breather tube, the only outlet or vent from the tube is through the two screen members and thence outwardlythrough the gaps or openings 7 to the space beneaththe skirt of the outer cover and thence to the open air.

v"Air can therefore pass freely into and out of the breather tube. On the other hand, oil or oily vapors do not escape from the tube, but any vapors or any oil that is splashed upwardly from within the tube is caught by the Vscreens and drains back into the tube without liability of escaping and running down over i0" the ends or other parts.

Some breather caps are `made with shells my invention may be made and sold as a separate part for attachment to such caps. In such cases the screen unit will be made as before described in substantially the form shown in the drawing, with its inner and outer members 10 and 13 assembled with a pair of screen members 17. The screen unit, however, will be so formed that it can be pushed or telescoped into the open end of the main sleeve 2 and then Vfastened in place to prevent escape. Any suitable fastening means, such as a spring latch, may be employed, but for convenience the ears 16 may be employed for'this purpose. In such separate screen units the ears 16 may be vextended longitudinally so that the screen unit can be pushed into the outer sleeve of the cap to its home position, whereupon theV ears 16 may be bent outwardly with a screw driver or pair of pliers so as to permanently fasten the parts together. Other arrangements are suitable for the purpose. TWhat I claim is:

1. A breather cap structure, comprising a tubular body member provided adjacent oneY of its ends with lateral vent openings, a cover for said body member secured to said aforementioned end thereof, and a screen unit of tubular form mounted within said body member .and provided with supporting ears pro-l jectmg outwardly' into the vent openings of .said body member, whereby said screen unit 1s positivelyk connected to and supported by said body member.

2. A breather cap structure, comprising a tubular body member provided adjacent one of its ends with lateral vent openings and being also provided adjacentsaid openings.; with outwardly projecting ears, a cover forsaid body member secured to said aforementioned end thereof, and a screen unit of tubular form mounted within said body member and provided with supporting ears project-A ing outwardly through the vent openings of said body member' and lying above and engaging the ears of said body member, whereby said screen unit is positively connected to and supported by said body member.

3. A breather cap structure, comprising a vtubular body member provided adjacent one of its ends with lateral vent openings, a cover 'for said body member secured to said aforementioned end thereof, and a screen unit ymounted within said body member and in.

cluding an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve, said inner sleeve being supported at its lower end by the lower end of said outer sleeve and said outer sleeve being provided at its upper end with. supporting ears projecting outward, ly through the vent openings of saidV body member, whereby saidrscreen unit is positively connected to and supported by'said body member. Y A l 4. A breather capstructure, comprising a tubularbody member provided adjacent one 'of its ends with lateral vent openings, a cover for said body member secured to said afore mentioned end thereof, and a screen unit mounted within said body member and including an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve, said inner sleeve being supported at its lower end by inwardly extending lugs carried by the lower end of said outer sleeve and said outer sleeve being provided at its upper end with supporting ears projecting outwardly through the vent openings of said body member, wihereby said screen unit is positively connected to and supported by said body member.

5. A breather cap structure, comprising a tubular body member provided adjacent one of its ends with lateral vent openings, a cover for said body member secured to said aforementioned end thereof, and a screen unit mounted within said body member and including an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve, said inner sleeve being supported at its lower end by inwardly extending lugs carried by the lower end of said outer sleeve and said outer sleeve being provided at its upper end with supporting ears projecting outwardly through the vent openings of said body member, whereby said screen unit is positively connected to and supported by said body member, said screen unit also including a screen unit relative to said tubular body member is limited.

In testimony whereof I hereby aix my signature.

HOWARD E. LEMMERMAN.

transversely disposed screen member arranged between the lower end of said sleeve and the inwardly extending lugs carried by the lower end of the outer sleeve and also including a transversely disposed screen member arranged between the upper end of the inner sleeve and inwardly extending lugs carried by the upper end of the outer sleeve.

6. A breather cap structure, comprising a tubular body member provided adjacent one of its ends with lateral vent openings, a cover for said body member secured to said aforementioned end thereof, and a screen unit of tubular form mounted within said body member and provided with supporting ears projecting outwardly into the vent openings of said body member, whereby said screen unit is positively connected to and supported by said body member, said screenrunit being also provided with means adapted for engagement with said cover for limiting upward movement of said screen unit relative to said tubular body member.

7. A breather cap structure, comprising a tubular body member provided adjacent one of its ends with lateral vent openings, a cover for said body member secured to said aforementioned end thereof, and a screen unit of tubular form mounted within said body member and provided with supporting ears projecting outwardly into the vent openings of said body member, whereby said screen unit is positively connected to and supported by said body member, said screen unit being also provided between its outwardly projecting 

